Welcome
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From The Editor
In this Seasonal Supplement Christmas stocking you will find surprises of all shapes and sizes. From financing of marine managed zones to recycled solar heaters in rural homes. From clips of PRESENCE in the ESP special session to communities on the land putting climate action beyond question. From new water partnerships in the Kromme catchment to wrap-ups of how Baviaanskloof Green Micro-Grants were spent. From the publication on thicket's soil carbon situation to presentations at ICCB addressing nature experience in education. From global guidance for sacred natural sites to the usual roundup of Learning Village students and other highlights. From poor poetry attempts which could've been poached from cheap Christmas crackers to genuine thanks to all our partners and friends who, despite the cheesy rhymes, continue to back us.
From all the EarthCollective members and on behalf of Living Lands staff, we trust this festive season brings contentment and a laugh - or three.
Best wishes.
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Feature Story
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Mission Impossible: Sustainably Financing Marine Managed Areas
If you thought financing terrestrial nature conservation areas was challenging, then take a look out to sea. Usually unseen, under-appreciated and undervalued, these multiple-use marine areas are not only a source of rich biodiversity but also of substantial socio-cultural and economic importance. But to find public and private beneficiaries willing to invest in their sustainability may be mission impossible. Or is it?
LEARN MORE... |
Collective News
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Earth Collective
Twisting with The Turning Wheel
EarthCollective is glad to announce its partnership with The Turning Wheel (TWIST). Whilst readers may have already noticed some of Fedde Jorritsma's TWIST news featured in previous Seasonal Supplement issues, the two organizations have recently agreed on ways to work closer together. "Given the synergies we share in personal philosophy, organizational ambition and a commitment to education for sustainability, partnering was an obvious next step," explains EarthCollective founder Matthew Zylstra.
TWIST delivers education for sustainable living. It bridges universal knowledge with local wisdom by supporting sincere intentions for sustainable living with practical solutions. By using simple sustainable technologies, TWIST responds to local demand, builds capacity and contributes to self-reliance. TWIST is currently conducting training for schools, farms and eco-villages in southeast Asia. "Simple technologies can really inspire and empower people towards social, economical and environmental sustainability", says TWIST founder Fedde Jorritsma. In the coming months, we will feature more of TWIST's inspirational efforts. In the meantime, read the latest as Fedde constructs what we believe to be the first ever solar collector from glass bottles, drinking tins, rubber tyres and copper...
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Living Lands
Creating a Climate for Change
Living Lands congratulates Jeffrey Barbee with the successful launch of his film "Creating A Climate For Change" which is screening at the COP 17 in Durban.
Jeffrey Barbee and his team have been on the road from Johannesburg down to the Baviaanskloof, then up to Namibia's deserts and through Botswana's Okavango Delta to northern Zambia and back down again to film, photograph and write reports about how southern Africa is mitigating and adapting to climate change.
In the Baviaanskloof, Jeffrey spoke to PRESENCE partners about the ongoing efforts linking landscape restoration with climate mitigation. Visits were made to Gamtoos Irrigation Board, landowners and local community and the PRESENCE Learning Village. With South Africa's Mail & Guardian newspaper also publishing a related article on the front page of the COP17 Durban supplement, it is encouraging to see Jeffrey and his team raising awareness about the importance of community-driven change.
Learn More...
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From The South
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PRESENCE IN THE KROMME
Partners for Water
Living Lands, together with three partners from the Netherlands: Aqua Terra Nova; Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD); and For Elements have been granted funding through the Dutch Partners voor Water program to further apply and refine a successful 'living landscape' strategy. Such an approach has already been piloted with considerable success by Living Lands through the PRESENCE Network in the western sector of the Baviaanskloof.
Contact: Marijn Zwinkels
marijn@earthcollective.net
Learn More...
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BAVIAANSKLOOF MICRO GRANTS
Emerging Champions
Living Lands has overseen the completion of 14 Baviaanskloof Green Micro Grant projects. These have attempted to adddress been important and challenging issues experienced on the landscape, including job creation and the empowerment of both women and men, especially in rural areas with limited opportunity. These projects have given rise to new champions motivated and driven both by the development of their communities as well as in caring and nurturing for their local natural environment. Special thanks to all those who supported these successful efforts, particularly to the Table Mountain Fund/WWF for funding the grant scheme. See Fotos from the Field below for a selection of the micro-grant recipients.
Contact: Jennifer Foley jennifer@earthcollective.net
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PRESENCE at the ESP
Special Summary Session
The PRESENCE Network was given a 2-hour special session at the Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP) conference held in Wageningen, to present the whole process from how it all started to where it is today. The session included presentations from Dr. Christo Marais (context), Dieter van den Broeck (Theory U tool), Alexander van Oudenhoven (biophysical research), Odirilwe Selomane (ecosystem valuation), Maura Andrew (PES efforts) and Jasper de Vries (stakeholder trust). Film clips of the session and indvidual presentations can be viewed here. Participants in the conference greened up their international travel footprint through Elemental Equity - that's another 1000 spekboom to clothe bare parts of the Baviaanskloof.
Contact: Odirilwe Selomane odi@earthcollective.net
Learn More...
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PRESENCE Network
Carbon in Thicket
Collaborations through the PRESENCE Network have led to the publication of a scientific article on the carbon content found in thicket. The co-authored article is titled "Predictions of soil surface and topsoil organic carbon content through the use of laboratory and field spectroscopy in the Albany Thicket Biome of Eastern Cape Province of South Africa". It also investigates the role that remote-sensing can play in this process.
Learn more...
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Cultural Values & Nature
Global Guidance for SNS
A network of indeterminable magnitude and importance spans the globe: interlinking nodes of sacred natural sites (SNS) and pilgrimage routes which are increasingly being acknowledged as critical to the conservation of earth's biocultrual diversity. These sacred connections are found in every country, although some are more well-known than others. Multi-lingual guidance is now available to help factor SNS into conservation policy and planning.
Learn more...
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eyes4earth
Provocative Pieces: ICCB
This year's International Congress on Conservation Biology (ICCB) in Auckland (NZ) ran with the theme "Engaging Society with Conservation." Matthew Zylstra delivered an oral and poster presentation on his doctoral research (linked to eyes4earth.org) which looked at the role of meaningful nature experiences as being critical to that engagement, particularly through education. This provoked audience questions and helpful follow-up discussion.
Learn more...
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9 Questions in 99 Seconds
(With Students Based At The PRESENCE LEARNING Village) |
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annah ndeketeya
Family? "Yah, I have"
Food? "I like food" [chuckles]
Fears? "Animals"
Free-Time? "I enjoy relaxing"
Fitness? "[laughs] Not really"
Favourites? "Travelling to new places"
Facebook? [nods]
Future? "Whatever best opportunity comes"
Fieldwork? "I am comparing the economic water use efficiency and productivity of the Gamtoos and Baviaanskloof Valley and to quantify the amount of water that could be saved"
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rik bijvelds
Family? "Mother, father and sister"
Food? "Italian"
Fears? "The unknown"
Free-Time? "Free time? Soccer and fishing" [chuckles]
Fitness? "Soccer"
Favourites? "Carp" [type of fish]
Facebook? "Yes"
Future? "Er...work"
Fieldwork? "I've been looking at what's happening in the Baviaanskloof in terms of recreation and tourism, and try to help stakeholders with the developing, mapping, upgrading and publishing of existing and new hiking trails" |
lisa nooij
Family? "Brother, parents"
Food? "I like food, I like to cook, I eat more than an average person"
Fears? [Looks around] "I don't know, maybe that I'm not allowed to do my thesis in June/July…"
Free-Time? "Sports"
Fitness? "No"
Favourites? "Climbing"
Facebook? "Yes, not very active"
Future? "Not going to be rich-working with my hands, I think"
Fieldwork? "My thesis research takes place in the Kromme River catchment, where I'm going to make a social network analysis and assess farmer knowledge & willingness to implement more sustainable land-use practices" |
creative corner
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Poetry Piece
While with an eye made quiet by the power
Of harmony, and the deep power of joy,
We see into the life of things.
- Wordsworth, 1798
Who's the
Cosmic joker
Playing poker
With these faces
Familiar queens
From my past
Trumping hearts
With these aces.
- "Ex-Déjà Vu" BY M@Z
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quotes of the quarter
"Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine."
- Bumper sticker
"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."
- Malcolm Forbes
"The intellect has little to do on the road to discovery. There comes a leap in consciousness, call it intuition or what you will, and the solution comes to you and you don't know why or how. "
- Albert Einstein
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Recommended Viewing
Without Thought: The Power of Peak Experience By Ollie Banks Narrated by Dr. Robert Moss
A short film clip exploring the power of peak experience and flow states. Why do they have the potential to change consciousness and reconnect us to nature?
"I think there is the potential for everyone who is in a deep state of flow or is having a peak experience to feel so connected to the environment in which they are. And often these experiences happen in nature, that afterwards you feel a moral obligation to the world. You feel a sensitivity; it is not so 'other' anymore, it is not just resources to be harvested..."
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fotos from the field - baviaanskloof green micro grant recipients
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News In A Nutshell
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Big Thicket Forum
On 2-3 November, the Settlers Museum in Grahamstown welcomed a big turnout for the 8th Annual Thicket Forum. Jointly organised by Rhodes University's Environmental Science Department and Living Lands, the program included reflections on the Forum's history, reviews of the Subtropical Thicket Restoration Program (STRP), thicket challenges and opportunities, critical issues, exploration of markets for thicket ecosystem services and their potential consequences as well as ongoing research results and opportunities. The Forum also included attendees from the business sector including marketers and private consultants.
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global presencing
During October, Dieter Van den Broeck flew to Boston (USA) to take part in the first Presensing Global Forum. Dieter joined an array of amazing discussions and introspective exercises which cemented the realisation that the only way to understand profound change is to experience it, the only way to understand the effect of our inner state is to be aware of it, and the only way to showcase the impact of our inner state is to prototype it. This journey provided Dieter with lessons that brought him closer to finding his purpose in life and the steps which need to be taken.
Learn More...
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Wildlands Studies
During October and November, another successful Wildlands Studies field-based education course was facilitated by EarthCollective members and Living Lands staff - Silvia, Joana, Dieter & Michael. The 12 U.S.A tertiary students experienced rich learning opportunities by participating in a wide variety of activities including wildlife monitoring, ecological restoration, and youth environmental education programs. The highlight was being able to view the spectacular aerial translocation of 20 endangered black rhino.
Learn More...
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yolngu SNS workshop
In early December, two Australian Indigenous (Yolngu) Ranger groups - Dhimurru and Yirralka - came together for a workshop on the management of their sacred natural sites. As a coordinator of the Sacred Natural Sites Initiative, Bas Veschuuren (CVNI) revisited northeast Arnhem Land and found that much work had been done on managing the cultural and spiritual values of Indigenous Protected Areas. At the workshop, Custodians of Sacred Natural Sites discussed management issues and, together with IPA Rangers, developed potential management solutions based on their cultural perspectives.
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INITIATIVES
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PRESENCE
PRESENCE functions as a collaborative platform to guide the restoration and conservation of 'living landscapes'. The PRESENCE learning network is coordinated by Living Lands - a South African foundation based at the Learning Village (Kouga Dam) with a vision of: "collaborations working on living landscapes."
WEBSITE:
livinglandscapes.co.za
Email:
dieter@
earthcollective.net
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eyes4earth
eyes4earth.org is a research and education
initiative focused on understanding the role of meaningful experience in behaviour change. eyes4earth combines online social media with community-based outreach to stimulate awareness and dialogue around nature (re)connection.
Website:
eyes4earth.org
Email:
matt@earthcollective.net
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cvni
The Cultural Values & Nature Initiative or "CVNI" is an action research project which
aims to elicit cultural and spiritual perceptions
of nature and the environment and integrate them into ecosystem management,
nature conservation and policy.
Website:
culturalvalues.org
Email:
bas@earthcollective.net
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elemental equity
Elemental Equity is an investment in your future. This 'natural capital' fund encourages individuals and businesses to help secure cultural and environmental heritage by investing in the elements of nature, such as 'Air' (CO2 reductions).
Website:
elementalequity.org
Email:
giving@
livinglandscapes.co.za
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Positive ideas. happening.
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EarthCollective's vision statement is: to act as a catalyst for creating, enabling and facilitating initiatives that restore links between nature and human wellbeing. And simply to get positive ideas happening. The EarthCollective network is institutionally affiliated with the Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) in The Netherlands and with Living Lands in South Africa.
EarthCollective's Seasonal Supplement Newsletter is published four times per year on a seasonal basis. Your inclusion on this mailing list is either because you are associated with EarthCollective activities, have previously expressed interest in our work, or you know someone in the EarthCollective network. However, should you no longer wish to receive this newsletter or related updates, click on 'unsubscribe' below or email: 'unsubscribe newsletter' to: info@earthcollective.net. Any other feedback, comments, ideas for future news stories or newsletter subscriptions can also be mailed to: info@earthcollective.net
Seasonal Supplement Editor: Matthew Zylstra
Seasonal Supplement Designer: Andrew Zylstra
Seasonal Supplement Contributors: Mahe Charles, Jennifer Foley, Fedde Jorritsma, Odirilwe Selomane, Dieter Van den Broeck, Bas Verschuuren, Silvia Weel, Marijn Zwinkels, Matthew Zylstra.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions:
Email: info@earthcollective.net
Phone: +27 (0) 42 283 0242
Post: PO Box 570, 6700 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands
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